The Events of December 7, 1941 by Aaron "Red" Bagley

USS West Virginia veteran Aaron "Red" Bagley's version of the events at Pearl Harbor

Aaron M. Bagley, Quartermaster.  On 7th December 1941 I was a

Quartermaster striker aboard the USS West Virginia BB48, usually referred to

as the WeeVee. I went came aboard the WeeVee when she was in Bremerton

Washington, Mare Island shipyard.  My first assignment was First Division.

Somehow Jack O'neill, quartermaster discovered that I wasn't really happy in

the deck force, and fortunately they needed a couple of sailors for the N

Division.  I found I hadn't taken kindly to holy stoning, or being captain of

the head, side cleaning in a punt, and being Captain of the "punt," for side

cleaning.  Being transferred from the First division was the best thing that

could have happened because now my battle station would be on the bridge and

not several decks below in the powder room.

        Now and then I pause to reflect on just how lucky I was Dec. 7th for

when the bugle sounded "Away Fire and Rescue Party," I was on my way to the

bridge to muster, but immediately the call was sounded for GQ.  At first we

thought it was a drill, but as I worked my way up the ladders the word came

over the PA system loud and clear, "This is no Drill!!!  As I moved forward

and up the ladders on the port side we were hit with either a bomb or torpedo

and the ship immediately took a list to port.  I had to go back down the

passage way to the starboard side and as I climbed up through a hatch another

torpedo struck the ship, and we rocked and rolled a bit.  It seemed no one

panic, and the men kept on going to their battle stations.  I was back to the

port side violating the rules, "up starboard, down port," but the portside

was the only way I could move.  Water on the second deck had began coming in

through the ports when the small group I was with were order to close all

hatches and ports. When I reached main deck forward some officer, I think it

was the navigator came along and ordered some of us to start bring up dead

and wounded from first deck.  They were covered with oil and difficult to

handle but we had some other guys come along and relieved us.  We then were

put to work moving the men into motor launches coming along side.  We loaded

the dead and wounded into the launch and it was quite easy since our bow was

almost underwater.  I ended up at the Subbase, and then on to  Block Arena.

    Dec. 7th early Sunday morning I was up and getting ready to go ashore.

Usually when Wally Morgan,  Frank Majecka, and I were going to hit the beach

the best looking ship shape sailor would depend on who got to the lockers

first, and grabbed a hat et.  We were the three musketeers.

       By the time I was ready to head up the ladders from steering aft and

make it to the gangway the bugler sounded "Away Fire and Rescue Party."

While I was heading up the ladder to muster the Bugler sounded GQ.  This

changed my intentions and I started toward the bridge, but getting topside

and ducking behind the bulkheads I managed to get to the focal, and that's

where I remained to help out anyway I could.  We loaded the dead and wounded

into motor launches coming alongside.  The ship was sitting on the bottom so

we only had to step out into the launches.  When through I took a motor

launch to Sub Base, and eventually ended up at Block Arena.  There I made

contact with Wally Morgan and Zeke, and we three ended up on the USS New

Orleans CA32, heavy cruiser.